That Thing Called Love
by nefretiri
Summary: FINISHED! Non-yaoi SenRu fic! This fic serves as a continuation to my first SenMit fic
1. Boy meets girl

**Disclaimer:**

Slam Dunk, the title, anime, manga, and all characters portrayed in it are owned by Inoue Takehiko and I.T. Planning, Inc. Materials pertaining to the title used in this fanfic are merely borrowed for fan purposes only and are not in any way intended towards any copyright infringement acts.

**A/N:**

Aaaah… FINALLY, I'm inspired to write about Sendoh! Isn't it always the hardest to write about one of your most favorite characters? I will make this as a continuation from my first SD fic titled All is Fair in Love and Basketball, also uploaded here on ff.net, it will help to read that first before you read this (if you haven't already!) I'm going to make a series of chain reactions from each fic… hehe…

There will not be much of basketball here… just Sendoh, Sendoh, Sendoh! OK… and maybe Rukawa! To all Sendoh & Rukawa fans out there, this is for you ^_^

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The line shook lightly once. Twice. Thrice. Then it stopped shaking again. Looks like the fish that hooked had gotten away again.

Sendoh Akira sighed a long, deep sigh. Sitting at the edge of the stretch of pier, caressed by the summer breeze peacefully, his eyes were locked towards where his fishing line meets the blue water. For hours now, he has been sitting silently, his chin resting steadily on his palm.

The line started shaking again. It was the sixth hook today. His eyes were locked straight onto it, but he ignored it, and continued staring blankly into the water.

It's been a good two weeks since they lost the Inter-High Prefecture elimination for the Inter-High championship to Shohoku, but it seemed like years ago.

No, it wasn't the defeat that affected him so much.

It was Chie.

_Mattaku, Akira…_ He scolded himself as he knocked his forehead with his knuckles. _You brought this upon yourself… stop feeling sorry for yourself!_

He tried to forget. He tried to distract himself. Yes, there had always been a line of girls who had been completely infatuated by his ultimate charm and boyish good looks. But no matter what he tried, it won't change the fact that the wounds of love takes time to heal. He had been with her for two years, and had loved her well even before that. Now he is only haunted by the image of her smile, the sound of her voice, and the still lingering soft scent that was her.

However, he knew it was for the best.

_When you love someone, set her free. If she doesn't come back… then…_

He lifted up his face and chuckled, amused at his own thoughts. _Forget it._ He thought as he looked down at his watch. 3.00 PM. It's been two hours since basketball practice started. Ryonan had proceeded to held practices earlier every day ever since school was off with summer vacation. But Sendoh hasn't been to practice ever since that last game with Shohoku that bumped Ryonan off the Inter High. Somehow he didn't feel like playing basketball, for now. But he had an obligation to the team. 

Sendoh Akira is now the new captain of Ryonan High School's basketball club.

And so he reeled in his fishing line and folded his rod and stuffed it neatly in his the outer compartment of his sportsbag that contained his practice gear and decided that maybe, that he should really come to practice today.

* * *

He was approaching the giggling girls around the corner as he walked towards the basketball club locker room. They were all stealing glances at him with blushing faces. Amused, he simply thought that they were cute, and so he smiled to them. "Yo! Nice day, isn't it?" he flashed a friendly smile and waved to them as his other hand turned the latch to the locker room.

He entered and closed the door behind him. And suddenly he heard a unanimous shriek outside the door. He chuckled, and proceeded to the corner of the wall, where locker number seven, _his_ locker, stood.

Sendoh stopped for a moment when he saw a piece of paper sticking out the edge of his locker door. _Notice? Or… what…?_ He thought as his thumb rotated the combination number on the lock. As the lock opened, suddenly the door sprung open and out dropped flapping envelopes that had been stuffed under the locker door since… well, since the last time he opened his locker, which was… days ago.

He froze as the last of the pink, scented envelopes dropped swiftly right onto his shoe.

"Good thing you came today. Your locker would've exploded by tomorrow." A voice suddenly spoke behind him.

Startled, Sendoh turned around, only to find himself staring eye to eye with a grim-faced Koshino Hiroaki, his classmate, and teammate.

"Ah… Koshino… hisashiburi…"

Koshino didn't reply to him. His face never looked so serious, or angry, for that matter. "Damn right it's been a while." Koshino snapped at him. "What is it, Sendoh?"

Sendoh simply smiled regretfully, and turned his back against Koshino. He placed his bag inside his locker compartment then bent down on the floor and started collecting the love letters that were scattered all around.

"We need to know if you're still with us." Koshino continued to speak. "Do you realize your role in this team? Just one word from you could set the team's spirit into flames. Nobody in this team has such power. Not even when Uozumi-san was captain!"

"Wakateru yo." Sendoh answered briefly as he stuffed the envelopes into his locker and proceeded to tug the polo shirt he was wearing over his head and slipped into his practice gear.

Koshino sighed deeply. "Don't bother, Sendoh. Taoka-sensei actually ended practice an hour ago."

* * *

The girl was dribbling the ball against the concrete ground, her eyes fixed towards the ring up there. She wasn't too tall. Maybe only a good 160 cm. But she had a sturdy figure that makes the athlete that she is. She had her long raven hair pulled into a neat ponytail that waved beautifully in the air as she dashed towards the ring and performed a smooth lay up.

The ball glided exactly through the middle of the ring without interference, and it bounced on the concrete once before her small hands took hold of it. She wiped the beads of perspiration from her forehead and stepped away from the ring at where she had been standing before.

She bounced the ball against the ground again. Once, twice. Then she took hold of the ball and pivoted swiftly without making enough steps to get her a traveling foul, stepped out of the three point line, and jumped up in the air to make the three-point shot.

Sendoh stopped his steps when he heard the sound of a basketball bouncing against the ground. He walked towards the public court that he was only passing by on his way to his home, to see who it was, only to be surprised when he saw a raven-haired girl leaping up in the air with the most perfect form he had ever seen to perform a three-point shot. Her right wrist curved gracefully as her palm applied a gentle yet powerful force to the ball, sending it flying a perfect curve towards the ring.

To his surprise, it went through the ring smoothly. She sunk the three-point shot beautifully. And that is rare. For a girl.

And somehow, he felt a feeling rise up in his chest. Maybe it was attraction, or maybe just mere curiosity. Or maybe… his love for a good challenge, in which he knows when he sees one. And his foot started to step into the interior of the court.

The girl didn't even realize his presence, until she was startled by a sound of hands clapping behind her. She turned around abruptly.

"That was a beautiful shot." Sendoh said as he applauded her. "You must be a basketball player."

Her cinnamon-colored eyes widened when she saw him, and her hands released their grip on the ball and it bounced lightly over to Sendoh's feet.

There was a long stretch of silence for a moment, until Sendoh picked up the ball and rotated it smoothly on his index finger. He smiled as he tossed the ball up, then leaped up onto the air and sent the ball flying towards the ring.

"Anata wa… Sendoh Akira ja nai ka?"

Her question startled Sendoh. As he landed on his feet, the ball bounced off the side of the ring, and dropped to the ground. He froze for a moment, but then, suddenly feeling amused again, he chuckled softly. Then he stepped towards the ball and picked it up from the ground. 

The girl was now staring at his back, annoyed at what seemed to be boastful behavior from the infamous point guard of Ryonan as he looked amused at her question. Being an avid follower of the men's basketball of the prefecture, and being a varsity player herself, it's only natural that she would know who Sendoh was. _What a big jerk!_ She grumbled to herself, her fists clenched tight as she stood still there.

"Yes, I'm Sendoh Akira." Sendoh finally answered. "And who might you…" he continued to ask a question as he turned around, but before he could finish his question, as fast as lightning, she had dashed past him and snatched the ball from his hands and sunk the ball with an under the ring lay up shot.

Sendoh turned around, and was greeted with a satisfied smile on her pretty face.

_I don't care if you're one of the most genius players in the country… serves you right, you… jerk!_ She tossed the ball up and rolled it across her arms gracefully.

His eyes examined her from head to toe. Her face was glistening in the twilight sun with the beads of pearly perspiration running across her fair, smooth skin. Her chest was heaving with heavy breathing, it seems that she had been bouncing around on the court for quite sometime now. She's a pretty girl, and her eyes reflected an immense fighting spirit. Just exactly what a basketball player should be made of. And that tickled more of his curiosity. A smile curved on his lips, and he nodded at her.

No words exchanged, but she understood what he was getting at. Promptly, she passed the ball towards Sendoh.

Sendoh grunted lightly as the ball hit him right on his abdomen as he caught it, startled by quite a powerful pass coming from a girl. Then he grinned…

The minute started the fierce one-on-one basketball brawl between the Ryonan point guard and this mysterious girl whom he does not know who. They dashed and eluded, stole and blocked, jump shoots and laid up, until finally, after a good ten minutes, the score was 5-4, to her advantage.

They both stopped, catching their breath.

"Come on, don't hold back, Sendoh-san." She said. "I'm not afraid of you."

"I was just warming up." He replied.

She giggled softly as she dribbled the ball lightly. But before she made another move, their play was interrupted by another presence.

"Nani wo sun da yo, Sumire?" a cold voice called out from behind Sendoh.

Startled from the voice that sounded all too familiar, Sendoh turned around to confirm his suspicion, but before he could even see who it was, the girl had already sprung forward towards the perpetrator.

"Kaede!!!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him. "You're late!"

And Sendoh now found himself standing face to face with his biggest nemesis, Shohoku's Rukawa Kaede. Rukawa's eyes stared straight into his with his usual, cold, icy stare. "Sendoh…" Rukawa muttered in his usual low, flat tone of voice. 

"Rukawa…!"

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(to be continued)


	2. Who's that girl?

Sendoh held the ball between his elbow and his waist, looking at the two in front of him. _Sumire… so that's her name…_ Sendoh thought as he watched her fuss over a silent Rukawa, whose stare is still burning right through Sendoh without blinking. _What's their connection? Who is she to him?_

"Ikuzo, Sumire." Rukawa suddenly spoke again in his usual cold manner as he turned and started walking away.

"Nani!?" Sumire voiced a protest. "But you just got here! You promised that you'd…"

"We'll do it tomorrow. And _somewhere else_." He replied grimly.

"But… Kaede!!!" she exclaimed again, running after him. "Matte yo!"

As she was walking away, Sendoh realized that his chance for a good challenge, or maybe more than that, could just vanish away just like that if he didn't do something about it. He was surprised at what he was feeling. A feeling that he hasn't felt in a long time. Yes, he was sure that this was attraction. Fatal? Maybe. Anything associated with Rukawa may result fatally. But for the sake of keeping this wonderful feeling of intrigue alive…

"Sumire-san…!" Sendoh exclaimed suddenly, interrupting their argument. "I don't believe we're through yet." He continued as he tossed the ball towards her.

Sumire turned around and caught the ball. She looked at Sendoh, and that smile on his face. She just held the ball without replying. Then she turned to Rukawa, and then back at Sendoh.

"Come on." Sendoh taunted playfully. "I thought you weren't afraid of me."

Her face looked shocked for a moment at his playful taunt. But then her eyes glinted with intrigue. And Sendoh knew he has successfully flipped her switch.

"Really, Sendoh-san…" Sumire dribbled the ball as she walked towards Sendoh. "I always thought you were different, but I suppose being arrogant comes as a package with being an ace, ne?"

_Smart comeback. I'm impressed._ Sendoh put himself in a defense position, his eyes locked into hers, reading what will be her next movement.

"Sumire!" Rukawa's voice called out indignantly. That would be the first time ever that Sendoh heard Rukawa actually _raise_ his voice, albeit only a little. But he was ignored. And thus, he exhaled silently, and proceeded to walk away. He doesn't like the idea of Sumire in a one-on-one with Sendoh, but he couldn't be bothered to stay. And thus, he kept stepping away without even looking back.

* * *

Sumire picked up a faster pace as she walked along the now dark streets. She turned around to glance back, and saw that Sendoh was still walking casually behind her. He had followed persistently from the basketball court to the train station, onto the train, and off the train station to this street.

"Will you _please_ just go away!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "I told you that I don't need to be walked home!"

"It's not safe for a girl to be walking alone at night." Sendoh replied calmly, resuming his steps.

Sumire was now officially annoyed. She didn't know what annoyed her more. His stubbornness, or the fact that he had beaten her silly in their game earlier. In a way, she had actually enjoyed being able to play against such a remarkable player, and she acknowledged his ability. But… argh! He's just so… so…

_Cute?_

_Ergh… what am I thinking!?_ She stuck her tongue out in disgust and embarrassment at the sudden random thought that popped out from absolute nowhere. And she knew she had to escape Sendoh's presence. Somehow. And without seeing further, her foot stepped off the sidewalk onto the asphalt, and she was about to run off when…

Sendoh's hand grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back with full force. She slammed right onto his embrace… just as a big truck zoomed past by where she had been walking towards.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, you lunatic!" the truck driver stuck his head out and yelled angrily.

"Tsk…" Sendoh just shook his head in ridicule, and without realizing it, both his arms coiled tighter around her.

Yes, she was shocked into silence. _Doki… doki… doki…_ Her heart was beating fast. And it was then that she suddenly realized that she could hear Sendoh's heartbeat also, beating softly beneath his broad torso where she was pressing against right now. And with that, she pushed herself away and broke free from his grip.

"Aa… sumimasen…" Sendoh scratched his head sheepishly when he realized how long he had been holding her. Then he smiled calmly. "I told you it was dangerous," he said as he slipped both his hands into his trouser's pocket. "Are you always that careless?"

_Okay. I get it. You're a wise guy, and you saved my life. Okay okay! I get it! _"Thank you…" she forced out the words out with a trembling voice, unable to look at him in the eye.

"Now will you let me walk you home?"

She didn't reply to his question, but then the next thing she knew was that she found herself walking side by side with Sendoh across the street. She didn't even realize how long they walked together, with no words exchanged after what happened. They just walked silently. Until…

…she was home.

Sendoh stopped his steps as she stopped, and he looked up at the house they were standing in front of. His eyes widened in shock when he caught the name plated in front of the stone wall.

Rukawa.

_Nandato!?_

"I guess this is where I get off." Sumire said softly as her hands opened the front gate soundlessly. "Thank you, Sendoh-san." She said again as she proceeded into the gate interior.

"Aa… chotto…" Sendoh held the gate open as she was about to close it. "May I just know… uh… you and Rukawa…"

Sumire was hesitant for a moment. And her eyes looked like she was debating with herself whether she should dignify his question with an answer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interfere… in your…" Sendoh suddenly said as he released his grip. "Well then. Ja ne." he said as he stepped backwards and turned away.

"Otouto." Her voice suddenly spoke. "Kaede wa… atashi no otouto da."

Startled by her answer, he stopped and turned around. For a second he didn't know how to react. And suddenly, he bursts out laughing. He didn't even know what possessed him to suddenly just… laugh. Maybe it was the mind-boggling fact that this girl and Rukawa Kaede are actually… siblings…

…or maybe he was just relieved by the fact that she wasn't involved with Rukawa Kaede in _that_ way.

"What's so funny?" Sumire asked indignantly, both her hands clasped at her waist as she watched Sendoh laugh uncontrollably in front of her. _How rude._

"Ah… hahaha… iie… betsuni!" Sendoh tried his best to stop his laughter. He coughed as he felt himself choke with laughter. "Ahahaha… nee, Sumire-san. Maybe we can have another game sometime?"

"Don't count on it." She replied as she slammed the gate shut, and without further words, walked into the house.

Sendoh was still standing there for quite sometime after she has disappeared behind the door. _Well, this should make for a very interesting start…_ And with the smile still on his face, he turned away and brought his steps home.

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(to be continued)


	3. Onee-san...

**A/N:**

Okay… so maybe this chapter is more Rukawa than Sendoh… okay… actually, it's ALL Rukawa. But don't worry, you Sendoh fangirls! You'll be sure to see him again soon! Promise! :D After all, he is the star of this ficcie! ^_^

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He was only eight then, and she was nine. That was when he remembered the fights first started occuring. Father would yell at mother, mother yell at father, then comes the slapping, and hitting…

Breaking lamps…

Door slamming…

They thought the children had fallen asleep, but Kaede was still wide awake. The screams had awaken him and he had brought himself out of his room to see what was going on, being the curious child that he was at that time.

Stepping towards his parents' room, he cringed everytime he heard something break against the wall, or the door, or the floor. He was now in front of the slightly opened door, which created a small gap between the door itself at the doorframe in which he could see into the room. Nothing. No one. Just angry screams and yells.

"O… Otoo-san…" he called out timidly, but his voice was drowned beyond the racket.

And to his horror, suddenly his mother's figure can be seen from the door gap. She had fallen to the floor after taking a hard slap from his father.

He froze on the spot. The image of his picture perfect family that he always had in his mind shattered into pieces. And since that day on, it only got worse and worse. He turned from a bouncing, cheerful little boy into a sullen, quiet one. And the only thing that keeps him going and put a smile on his face is the constant love and care of his brave elder sister. Although only a year older than him, she knew the importance of protecting her brother's happiness, and so she would keep him happy, shower him with care, hold him in those dark, lonely nights.

She was his fortress.

And he was her reason to stay strong.

Until one morning, he woke up in an empty room. The bed where his sister had always slept soundly in was empty, and it was already made. And all her stuff were gone. 

"Onee-san…?"

His mother had made up her mind to leave the house and the family in the middle of the night, and has taken her daughter with her.

They never really knew what is it exactly that happened between both their parents. But that part of their childhood created a very strong impact into both their characters. And Rukawa vowed that he will never again rely on anyone as he did to his sister for fear of the similar abandonment that he went through as a child. 

So they grew up in separate ways, in separate places. With only about once at the most of each year is when they get to see one another, and most of those times it was in a very short span of time. But her visits decreased in its frequency, and the last time she came to Kanagawa to see him was three years ago. And so he stopped acknowledging her as 'onee-san' and she became simply 'Sumire.'

Rukawa never came to visit his mother. Ever since that night she left, he had hated her with a passion for abandoning him.

And for taking his sister away from him.

Thus, Rukawa Kaede became a cold person with a lot of bitterness welled up inside of him. A person who does not express his feelings all too well unless it's something in the area of hostility. But even so, deep down inside he knew that he will always love his only sister.

* * *

"Kaede…" Sumire's voice called out softly, shaking his shoulders gently.

His eyelids slowly fluttered open as he stirred awake from his sleep, and he found himself looking right into Sumire's eyes. "Onee-san?" he asked softly, rubbing his eyes.

Sumire looked surprised for a moment there. She hasn't heard him call her that in years. 

Suddenly aware of what he just said, his face changed, and he looked away from her eyes. "Nanda?"

"You didn't look like you were having such a pleasant dream…" she said again as she brushed a strand of his raven hair away from his sweat-dripping forehead.

He had been dreaming about Sumire, and the times he spent in loneliness and solitary after she left him. And so he turned his face away from her hands and got up on his feet. There was nothing but silence for a moment in that room, until a soft creak was heard as Rukawa pulled open his closet and pulled out a clean T-shirt.

"So…" he started to speak as he pulled off his sweat-soaked T-shirt over his head. "Had fun with Sendoh?" he snapped sarcastically.

She looked up at his sudden question in surprise. Then she burst out into laughter. "Really, Kaede… you must be joking!" she exclaimed in amusement.

But Rukawa didn't seem to find it at all funny. He just stood there, staring down at his sister without blinking even once.

"Kaede, you're being ridiculous." She said again. "I have absolutely no interest in him."

"Really."

Sumire just sighed as she shook her head in ridicule. He hasn't changed at all. Still the same, stubborn Kaede. 

"You shouldn't have come here." He suddenly said, startling Sumire. She looked up, and she saw his fists clenching at his sides. "After all these years… you came just to leave again! And this time…"

_… to somewhere I can't reach…_

"Kaede, I don't have a choice…"

"You don't have to do it you know. Why should you sacrifice your life for _her_?"

Sumire stood up at his remark and glared at her taller, younger brother. "Don't speak of her like that! She's our mother!"

Rukawa's eyes remained cold and unaffected by her words. He paused before he finally said his words, "I don't have a mother."

And promptly, a stinging slap came across his right cheek from Sumire's hand. "She wouldn't have decided to leave if you hadn't turned her away like you did!" she exclaimed angrily, and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

And Rukawa was left alone in the echoes of her angry words. 

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(to be continued…)


	4. Pieces of my broken heart

**A/N:**

Heeeeere's Sendoh!!!!!!! I hope this isn't too sappy! Mwaaa……… _

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He was awakened by the bright sunray of a late morning that glared through his window right on his face. Sendoh opened his eyes and squinted from the bright light. Then he pulled his pillow from underneath his head and placed it over his face so the sunrays wouldn't bug him. He felt so tired, due to the restless night he had. Couldn't sleep a wink again. Maybe only a good two-three hours or so. Every night now. This had been going on for two weeks.

"Akira!" his mother's voice called as she knocked on his door. "When are you getting out of bed? I know it's summer vacation, and it's a Sunday and all but it'll be lunchtime soon!"

Great.

"Hai, hai, okaa-san." He replied lazily as he lifted the pillow off his face and tossed it onto the floor. Then he pulled himself from the blanket and bedsheet that had tangled around his body due to the endless tossing and turning throughout the night and got up on his feet.

He pulled open his closet door to look for a clean shirt. But his closet was pretty much… empty. Then he remembered that he hasn't organized his clean laundry in weeks, and that they're all still sitting by his door, piling by the day in which each time his mother would brought more in.

_Am I not functioning this week or what?_ Sendoh felt a little amused at himself. He's never really an organized person, just taking everything easy and going with the flow, but the way he has been for the past two weeks, was beyond disorganized. Skipping practice, mindless daydreams, sleepless nights, unfolded clothes…

As he sorted through the pile of clothes, suddenly he froze as he came across a particular one. He pulled the light-blue colored polo shirt and flapped it gently. Chie had given it to him for his birthday last year, and it has become his favorite ever since.

_Chie…_

He turned around and looked at the phone. Getting up, his hand reached out to pick it up, until…

"Argh! Snap out of it, Akira!" he scolded himself out loud while smacking himself silly. _What did you think you were going to say? She's Mitsui's now. And you know she had always loved him too. That's why you let her go. It was your own decision, and so you have to live with it!_

_But who would've thought it would actually be this hard…?_

He sighed again. Maybe this is what's been causing his sleeplessness. He often wondered what made him decide to do what he had done. After all, Chie had remained loyal to him. She could've still been his right now.

_Coulda woulda shoulda… _

_Baka…_

But it was Sendoh who realized the look in her eyes when she's with Mitsui. It was him who realized her feelings for Mitsui even before she realized it herself. And so…

He yawned again, and stretched his arms up in the air. He cringed when a pulled muscle shot a mild sore feeling at the back of his right upper arm. The result of two weeks' absence of basketball practice, and a sudden hour of an intense one-on-one without a warm-up against a vivacious player.

He remembered the way she looked under the twilight sun, and those eyes… those fiery eyes that resemble none other than her brother, Rukawa Kaede. And that urge to laugh welled up again in his chest from the amusing fact that he had actually developed an interest on Rukawa Kaede's sister.

"Over my dead body." Sendoh imagined what Rukawa might have said, and how he would've said it.

But then, the feeling of amusement was replaced by a sinking feeling of guilt. After all, it's only been two weeks. Isn't he still supposed to mope around over his recent breakup?

"Yareyare… bakamono da…" He picked up the blue polo shirt, a fresh pair of trousers and a clean towel, and tossed it on his shoulder. _She doesn't even like me. _He thought, remembering the look on her face as he was walking her home. Maybe disliking Sendoh Akira runs in the genes of the Rukawa clan. 

And so the smile reappeared on his face as he brought his steps out of his bedroom.

* * *

Sumire's eyes wandered around as she walked along the crowded Sunday streets. She had left the house for a Sunday sightseeing walk in the city without even telling Rukawa. It was a bright and sunny Sunday. And the heat only brought her to boil even more when she thought of his sharp words just the night before.

_I'm not going to talk to him until he does! Baka Kaede…_ Her face turned more serious as she thought more and more of her stubborn brother.

"You look like you're about to kill someone." A voice suddenly startled her. "What did Rukawa do?"

Her face turned purple in shock when she saw that it was Sendoh right in front of her. And she lost her tongue completely.

"Hisashiburi." Sendoh joked as he smiled. "Small town, isn't it?"

_Yeah. Too small, in fact. Of all people, why did I have to run into this big conceited flirt?_

"Nice day, isn't it?" he said again, despite that the whole time she hadn't said a word back to him. "Nee, Sumire-san… can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

Sumire looked shocked and appalled at his bold question. _He just doesn't get it, does he? Is he really THAT dense?_

He noticed the look on her face. "Oh, you don't like coffee? Then, ice cream perhaps?"

_Thud._

Sumire rolled her eyes, and promptly walked past him without replying to his offer.

Sendoh laughed. He was, somehow, extremely amused by her behavior. And the more she rejected him, the more interested he became in Rukawa Kaede's sister. And more so because she seemed to be quite a remarkable girl with an intriguing character. So he ran after her and walked next to her.

She glared at him as he casually trod the sidewalk next to her. "Go away." She finally said.

"Sumire-san, a truck might try to run you over again. I'm just here for your personal safety."

_Can God just spare me the agony already? First Kaede, now this smart-mouthed guy!_ She was just about ready to explode completely.

"Please?" he asked again. "A glass of soda then."

"No."

"Candy?"

"No!" she exclaimed as she walked faster ahead of him.

"Akira-san…?"

Sendoh stopped his steps at the other voice who called behind him. He froze for a moment, almost afraid to turn around because he knew the voice all too well. 

_Doki… doki… doki… _His heart felt as if it were about to explode as his foot brought him to turn around.

And there she was, standing in front of him. The girl he loved. And she looked… beautiful. 

Two weeks. It's been two weeks since he last saw her.

He didn't know that it would feel this way. That the mere sight of her would hurt so much.

_Only_ two weeks.

"Chie…? Nanda?" Suddenly someone else arrived in the scene and promptly took hold of her hand. It was Mitsui Hisashi. And then his eyes met Sendoh's. 

"Yo, Sendoh."

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(to be continued)


	5. Getting to know you

Sumire glanced back and realized that Sendoh was no longer following her. Taking this chance, she quickly slipped off behind a large pole on the inner side of the sidewalk. _Good riddance._ She thought as she exhaled in relief. But then, her curiosity got to her, and she peered from behind the pole to see what was going on.

She saw the girl. A pretty girl, yes. Just a little bit taller than herself. A delicate-looking girl with rosy cheeks and round expressive eyes. But she looked extremely uneasy, and troubled by _something_.

What is it?

And by just one look on Sendoh's face, Sumire knew immediately that the _something_ must have been a history between them. And something inside her heart melted as she looked at him. Somehow she could never pictured him with a heartbroken expression on his face. Somehow he just didn't seem to be the kind of guy who gets hurt by the girl_._ He's supposed to be the heartbreaker, isn't he?

So the other guy must be…

_Eh? Mitsui Hisashi?_

* * *

"Ah, Mitsui." Sendoh finally regained his composure and spoke. "How are you?" he said again as he forced a smile.

"Genki da." Mitsui replied casually with a friendly smile. "And you?"

_Horrible. A wreck. An absolute mess. A state of utter deterioration._ "Couldn't have been better…" Sendoh replied as he glanced at Chie. _Please don't look at me like that, Chie._

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Neither any of the three knew what else must be said or done. They were in a very awkward situation. Sendoh knew it. Chie knew it. And Mitsui most certainly knew it as well.

"Aa… Akira-san…" Chie finally started to speak again.

"Akira-kuuuuuun!" But suddenly a melodious voice called out behind Sendoh, and before he could turn around to see who it was, she had already pounced on him and hooked herself on his arm.

His eyes widened when he saw it was Sumire, and his face reddened when she coiled her arms around him affectionately. "Su… Sumire…!" 

_What on earth is she…_

"What are you doing? Hayakute yo… the movie is about to start!" she winked to him as she spoke, then pulled on his arm and started dragging him away. "Sumimasen!" she smiled cheerfully at the two that looked somewhat… dumbfounded. "But I need to steal him away from you, all right? Nee… ja ne!"

"Oh… hai…" a still astonished Mitsui replied. "Ja… ne…" he said again, still dumbfounded as the two of them watch Sendoh being dragged away by the mysterious girl who they've never seen before.

* * *

"How ironic." Sumire started to speak after a long stretch silence as they sat down on a park bench. She didn't even pay attention as to how she had ended up there, sitting silently next to him. "You, of all people, being so silent. Where did all your wise words disappe…" she promptly stopped her words when she noticed his fists clenching and… quivering.

This is definitely a side of Sendoh Akira she never expected to see, or expected to exist.

Her voice seemed to have shaken him from the bad dream. He looked at her, and what came was none other that a feeling of ease. Taking a deep breath, and as if his despair melted away with it, his whole body relaxed and he leaned back on the bench.

"That was god-awful stupid of me…" He finally said, throwing his head back.

And so Sumire started listening as he continued to speak. He spoke of the day he met Chie in their middle school days; the way she slowly, by each day, captured his heart more and more; the way her eyes would drown him into a pool of adoration; the day his emotions finally spilled out into an honest confession of love; the two years of utter bliss…

And finally, the day she entered high school. Not into his high school, but Shohoku. 

Where she met Mitsui.

Sumire was completely astonished. She was completely wrong about Sendoh Akira. What was in front of her is no longer the mindless, conceited jerk anymore, but more of a faithful and sincere heartbroken young man who is completely capable of a monogamous relationship.

"So, what's your story?" he suddenly said, as he looked at her with that smile on his face.

"Nani?" Startled, she turned to stare at him with a 'what-is-that-supposed-to-mean' look.

"I've told you my story. Now let's hear yours."

_I spoke too soon. _She rolled her eyes, completely appalled, and she stood up just like that, ready to leave. But he grabbed her hand as stopped her.

"Wait." He said. "I haven't thanked you."

"For what?" she asked grimly as she pulled her hand off his grip.

"For listening, for being here, for pulling me out of that mess, the list goes on." Sendoh smiled.

She nodded, and proceeded to turn around to walk away.

"How about a game, Sumire-san?" he called out as she continued to walk away. "Just some good, clean fun! 5 PM at the court near Shohoku! I'll be waiting there, all right?" _This is definitely a shot in the dark._ Sendoh shook his head in ridicule at what he had just said. Then he watched her walk away and disappear at the corner of the path. _She's definitely Rukawa Kaede's sister._

But it was odd for him, how her presence had put him at ease. And he really liked having her around him. Somehow, she always managed to put a smile on his face.

And so she left him there at the park. But somehow, she couldn't help smiling. And two hours later, her foot had brought her down to the designated court near Shohoku where Sendoh was waiting for her.

"Good clean fun, right?" Sumire said as she stepped into the court.

Startled by her presence, Sendoh lost his words for a moment. He really did not expect her to show up. But she did. And he smiled. "I promise." Sendoh replied, dribbling the ball in his hand.

"Just lay off the smart remarks. I hate it when you do that."

"Whatever you say, Your Highness." He said as he folded his arm in front of his abdomen and bowed down to her.

"Oh, just shut up and play already." She said, rolling her sleeves.

Sendoh tossed the ball to Sumire. "Hey, Sumire-san. Did I mention you have an interesting line of names?"

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, curious of what he has to say next.

"No, really. A violet, then a maple tree. What's next? A cactus?"

Sumire stopped dribbling the ball, staring at him. But then she suddenly bursts out laughing for the very first time on Sendoh's account.

Now Sendoh was caught dumbfounded watching her laugh at his remark. Completely unexpected. Again. And what she said next was another unexpected bit.

"Hmm… I guess you're not so bad after all, Sendoh-san." She said as she looked at him with a smile curved on her lips.

"You're not too bad yourself, Sumire-san." Sendoh answered. "And please, just call me Akira."

She tossed the ball back to him at his remark. "And you can just call me Sumire."

====================================================================================

(to be continued)


	6. He says, she says

**A/N:**

Hehe… I have noooo idea how I came to write this short bit. This actually came up in the middle of the next chapter (which became Chapter 7) that I was writing haha… and somehow doesn't seem to fit into the chapter so let's just make it into an intermission here, okie? :) You should be able to figure out which passage is _who_. ^_^ 

====================================================================================

What is it about you that I love the most? Maybe it's your smile. Yes, I do love the way you look when you smile. Hmm… but then again I like the way you look when you're frowning as well.

Or maybe it's your eyes that I love. The way they glint with the reflection of your strong spirit. The way they express your emotions outright. When you're happy, angry, sad, appalled, annoyed, surprised, mischievous… The millions of emotions that is you.

But then again, it could be your spirit. Your fighting spirit that never seem to give up on anything. Your strength that keeps you moving forward.

Or… your voice that soothes my soul just to hear you speak… about anything. Even when you're scolding me, or mocking me. I don't care what it is that you say, just so long I can hear your voice.

No.

I know what it is that I love most about you. I love the person that you are. The way you make me smile, the way you lift all my worries, the way you toss your beautiful hair, the way you laugh, the way you jump for joy when you sunk a shot, the way you look at me when you're puzzled, the way you look under the twilight sun…

You.

I love everything about you.

* * *

What is it that I hate most about you? It has to be your smile. Because they make my heart go into a complete race of beats. And sometimes even, make my face turn red. And when you smile at me, I just can't… bring myself to look into your eyes.

Oh, your eyes. I hate it when they look at me. Those deep indigo blue that would just drown me into you. And then I would lose myself completely, lose my thoughts, lose all senses, lose all my words…

And your words! The words you say that would just caught me completely unprepared. Leaving me just completely, utterly… speechless.

What is wrong with me? I'm starting to sound like a lunatic. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.

_I hate you._

Why? 

Because I keep seeing the image of you before I go to sleep, when I get up in the morning, in everything that I do. Because I miss you when you're not around. Because you make me laugh in all that you do. Because you always seem so carefree and never troubled by anything at all. Because you make me forget about all my problems. 

Yes.

_Everything_ about you.

I hate you because I think I'm in love with you.

====================================================================================

(to be continued)


	7. Adieu

**A/N:**

I was listening to my Cowboy Bebop "Blue" CD, and then this song just seemed perfect for this chapter. It's a pretty song, so maybe you should download it if you have the chance. It's called "Adieu". You should be able to find it just fine on WinMX. :) Anyways, enjoy. *meep* This is sooo sappy! *smacks self* Baka no nefretiri! ^_^

====================================================================================

_Been a fool, been a clown_

_Lost my way from up and down_

_And I know, yes I know…_

_And I see in your eyes_

_That you really weren't surprised at me at all_

_Not at all_

_And I know by your smile it's you…_

"Akira…?" Sumire's voice called out to a daydreaming Sendoh. "Sendoh Akira!" she exclaimed again. "You're not listening to me, are you?"

"Aa! Sumimasen…" Startled from his daydream, he found himself staring into a pouting Sumire. It's not that he wasn't paying attention to her. In fact, he had paying too much attention that he was drowned into utter fascination. Her smile…

"Hidooooi desu yo!" she scowled as she pulled on his ear playfully.

"Aaa! Itai itai itai!" he exclaimed as he cringed an eye.

She laughed full-heartedly. And that immense weight she had been feeling earlier felt as if it had been lifted away with the laugh. Since the day she had seen Sendoh in a completely new light, it had been different. He was now just the sincere boy who makes her laugh. And she liked being around him. In fact, there's a feeling of fondness that had grown beyond liking. But…

_No, I can't do this now. I can't…_

_But it's so easy to love him._ She realized that as she looked at him trying to lure a passing squirrel with a handful of… pebbles. _Thud._ She giggled as she tried so hard not to burst out in laughter.

_I'm being ridiculous._

It was a perfect day. Sunny, yet with a hint of cooling breeze. The sky was so clear the Mount Fuji was very much visible, standing in the distance in all its splendor, and the ocean was glistening under the warm sunrays.

"You know… Kaede and I used to play in this park all the time… when we were little…" Sumire said, hugging her knees as they sat under a shady tree on a high-ground park overseeing the whole town. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful Kanagawa is." She sighed.

Sendoh looked at her. With every single of the ten days that had gone by, the feeling inside his heart becomes stronger. Is it really so wrong to fall in and out of love so easily like this? He's barely out of the previous one. But he can't help it. He can't help himself, and he can't help his feelings. He loves talking to her, and telling her everything that's in his mind. He even loves just sitting there and look at her all day, and to listen to her stories of her brother, Rukawa Kaede, and everything else of her life. The closer he gets to her, the crazier he gets over her. But he knows, that it also meant that it will be harder to let her go when it's time for her to leave for where her home is, Osaka.

_My love for you burns deep_

_Inside me, so strong…_

But he can't deny his feelings.

"Sumire…" Sendoh started, but then he paused for a moment, seeming hesitant.

"Hai?" she turned and looked at him.

There was a long silence, until…

"Daisuki da…" 

And the words finally came out. Just like that. And Sumire was shocked into silence by his sudden confession. She never expected this. No, she never expected Sendoh to have developed all the same feelings she has for him, not this fast. __

"Sumire… I…"

"Akira, it won't work…" she cut his words all of a sudden, looking away from his eyes.

"Why not?" he asked as he kept trying to catch her gaze. "Osaka is really not that far away… we can make it work…! There's only one more year of high school, then I'll find a university in Osaka and…"

But she kept shaking her head. "You don't understand… it just can't…"

And suddenly her words were stopped by his lips. Startled, her first gut reaction was to push him away. But as his arms gently closed around her and pulled her closer into his embrace, she melted, and parted her lips to receive his kiss. 

But then she was awakened from her blissful moment, and promptly pushed him away. Just as she was about to get up and leave, Sendoh grabbed her hand.

"I really do love you. I'm willing to do just about _anything_ to make it work between us…" He said again, his eyes begging her. "Why do you keep pushing me away? Do you not trust me? Do you feel nothing for me?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _I do! I really do feel something for you! But it's better if…_ She opened her eyes, and tried to conceal every bit of the spilling emotion in her heart. But her eyes couldn't hide them.

"Sumire… what are you so afraid of?" he asked, reaching out to touch her face.

_Hurting myself… hurting you…_

"I'm leaving Japan." She finally answered.

"Nani?"

"I said… I'm leaving Ja…"

"What do you mean you're leaving Japan?" Sendoh exclaimed in shock. _Say it isn't true. Sumire?_

By this time, her clear eyes had been welling up with tears, but she blinked them away hurriedly. "My mother has decided to leave Japan. We will be moving to America next week." She muttered softly, barely heard.

_Don't care for me, don't cry…_

_Let's say goodbye, adieu…_

"Don't go." Sendoh suddenly said.

His words startled her. She was startled by his directness in asking her not to go. Even Kaede couldn't find his own guts to say those words. But even if he did ask her… "Akira, I have to…"

"No, you don't."

Her eyes were now reflecting confusion, anger, frustration… "Do you think I want to leave? My whole life is in Japan! My childhood, my parents, Kaede…" she paused for a moment, and the anger in her eyes faded away into sadness. "And you're not making this any easier for me!"

_It's time to say goodbye, I know that in time_

_It will just fade away, it's time to say goodbye…_

And it dawned on him. She really is leaving. And there's nothing she can do about it, or anything he can do about it.

"Maybe it would be better for you… and for me…" she paused for a moment as she looked into his eyes, then continued with a trembling voice. "…to not see each other again."

And thus the world came crumbling down. Sendoh was at a loss for words and motion. He froze then and there, even as Sumire leaned over and kissed his cheek gently as she muttered, "I'm sorry… Akira…" and pulled herself away, taking her steps away from him, further, and disappeared into the street, leaving him still standing there…

_I stand alone and watch you fade away like clouds_

_High up and in the sky_

_I'm strong and so cold_

_As I stand alone_

_Goodbye, so long, adieu…_

* * *

Lying on his bed, there were many things being thought in Rukawa's head. Sumire, mostly. Ever since the night that they fought, he hasn't said much to her, although she has tried so hard to make nice to him in every single way that she could.

Was he really that angry at her? He doesn't know anymore. But he knew that he hated the fact that she's leaving for America. Soon. He doesn't want her to go.

And almost everyday now, he keeps seeing her leave the house with Sendoh up from his bedroom window.

_Sendoh…_

Maybe that's what's really bothering him.

Is it?

And then he thought of his mother. The mother that he had always hated. It shouldn't have been like this. If she hadn't left when he was little. It wouldn't have been like this. And now, she's taking his life away once again.

_Why should I love such a mother?_

_I don't have a mother._

Then he thought of Sumire again. And his heart sunk. The sister whom he really cared about will be so far away. Then it dawned on him. He really doesn't have much time left with her.__

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming. And that promptly got him up out of bed. As he opened his door, he saw Sumire walking towards her room.

"O… Onee-san…" he called out awkwardly.

Sumire was startled. She turned around and saw Rukawa standing there. She quickly wiped her tears away.

"Why are you crying?" Rukawa asked.

"Ah… iie… nandemonai." She replied as she turned away from him.

Rukawa stepped towards her. "It's Sendoh, isn't it?"

"It's nothing, Kaede. Would just please leave me alone for now?" she said as she went into her room and closed the door in front of Rukawa's face.

Rukawa stood there, facing a closed door in front of him. After a moment, he raised his hand and was about to knock on the door. But he hesitated… then pulled his hand back and walked away.

====================================================================================

(to be continued)


	8. Change of heart

The phone rang again. It's been ringing all morning, as it had been for the past couple of days. Both Rukawa and Sumire knew who it was and none of them are willing to answer it.

For the past couple of days, the house has been bombarded with flowers, letters, phonecalls, and even occassional visits from the gift-giver himself in his desperate attempt to catch sight of his lovely maiden.

But Sumire has locked herself in her bedroom. Refusing all calls, refusing all gifts, refusing Sendoh. Not even Rukawa could talk to her. Annoyed at the endless phone ringing that morning, Rukawa had opted to leave the house very early to start his basketball practice despite that it doesn't start until two hours later. Well, he can't do much for Sumire even if he's at home anyway.

Rukawa could guess what happened exactly between his sister and Sendoh Akira even if she never told him a word about it. He could see everything written in Sumire's eyes that night when he saw her crying. And it boiled his blood just to think about it, like any brother would. Especially that the person involved is none other than his own nemesis.

"Rukawa! Easy on the ring there!" Ayako called out from the side court as Rukawa had unconsciously did such a fierce dunk that the ring shook for a good whole two minutes.

Startled, Rukawa looked up at the still shaking basketball ring.

"Nanda, Rukawa?" Kogure's calm voice spoke as the vice-captain approached his freshman ace. "Is something bothering you?" He asked again, putting a hand on Rukawa's shoulder. Although Rukawa has always showed complete apathy over everything around him, and never showing what's really in his mind, apparently this time what's bothering him is too deep to conceal beneath his icy stare.

Rukawa looked at his senpai without any expression reflected in his eyes, then shrugged Kogure's hand off his shoulder politely. "Nothing." He replied as he picked up the ball and started doing his jump shoot practice again.

He can't deny that he's angry. Angry at what, he doesn't know. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't able to do anything in his situation. It's a wonder that despite he's extremely bothered, his basketball plays seem even more flawless and accurate.

But suddenly, he stopped his practice and slammed the ball onto the gym floor. It bounced hard against the wooden floor towards the side, almost hitting Ayako.

"Rukawa Kaede!" Ayako exclaimed. "Nani yatten no yo!?"

Rukawa didn't answer to her. He just walked off to the side of the court and out towards the basketball club locker room. Everyone in the gym has pretty much froze from whatever it is they were doing to see what was going on.

"Koraaa! What the hell is wrong with you, kitsune! Are you trying to kill Ayako-san!?" Sakuragi's brashy voice echoed throughout the gym as he stomped towards Rukawa, but Kogure's firm hands stopped him from doing anything further.

"Akagi…" Kogure turned to his captain with a look in his eyes that is asking Akagi to take care of the current matter at hand.

Akagi sighed and shook his head. "Let him be."

* * *

"Sendoh-san, daijobu yo?" Aida Hikoichi approached his seemingly-distracted senpai who has missed almost about half of the shots he made in the span of the last hour and has been completely oblivious of whatever else is going on around him in the gym, despite that as captain, he should be supervising his teammates' practice.

Sendoh turned to Hikoichi, who was standing with a bottle of water and a clean towel extended out towards him. The boy seemed genuinely concerned about him. He looked around the Ryonan gym, and realized that all of his teammates were watching him, and also a number of his most loyal spectators, be it female or male, who had spared their precious vacation time to come back to school just to see their superstar point guard, now captain of the basketball club, in action.

_Get a grip on yourself, Akira. Look at them, they're all here for you. Don't be such a disgrace._

"Maybe you should rest for a moment, Sendoh-san!" Hikoichi said again.

"Thank you, Hikoichi." Sendoh nodded as he took the towel and the bottle of water, then he made his way to the side of the court to sit down on the bench for a while so that his head would clear. It's been hard for him these few days, with Sumire not taking any of his calls and refusing to see him. Maybe it's better for her not to see him again, but for him…

Somehow, someway, he had earned a reputation of being a flirt and a playboy around the high school student community. But Sendoh Akira is really not what he was said to be. He doesn't take his emotions and love lightly, and he would pursue it to the end of the road and not look the other way.

A deafening silence suddenly descended upon the gymnasium. Despite being engrossed in his thoughts, Sendoh caught the sudden stillness in the air. He turned around to see what was going on, and found himself looking straight at the cause, who is standing in front of the Ryonan gymnasium entrance.

Whispers started to become audible around the large hall. Intrigued by the presence of this unexpected guest, they wonder what had brought Shohoku's _Rukawa Kaede_ into Ryonan's gym.

"Sendoh…" Koshino approached. "What's going on?"

"It's all right, Koshino." Sendoh replied calmly, and he stepped towards Rukawa, just as Rukawa stepped into the gymnasium interior towards him.

The silence returned as the spectators held their breath in suspense over what kind hell will break loose between the two rivals who were now standing face to face with one another.

But before their eyes could blink, suddenly Rukawa's fist had swung forward and with a great impact, landed right on Sendoh's face. The gymnasium roared in shock, and the Ryonan players instantly ran towards their captain and surrounded the Shohoku perpetrator.

"Kisamaaaa!" Koshino exclaimed, pointing to Rukawa. "Where the hell do you think you are, you bastard!" he yelled, ready to retaliate to Rukawa's offensive act towards Ryonan's ace. But Sendoh, who had staggered a couple of steps backwards from the impact of the powerful punch, suddenly raised his hand in signaling Koshino to back away.

Sendoh straightened up his stand, his other hand holding off the flowing blood from his nose. "Clear the gym, Koshino. All of you. Leave now." he said calmly, never taking his eyes off Rukawa.

Obeying Sendoh's instructions, the Ryonan basketball club members promptly moved and cleared the gym of all spectators, closing the doors behind them, leaving the two inside.

"That's a warning. You will leave Sumire alone from now on, do you understand that Sendoh?" Rukawa's cold voice spoke flatly, his eyes glaring coldly.

Sendoh looked straight into Rukawa's eyes. "I can't do that, Rukawa."

As he said that, Rukawa promptly grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him. "What part of 'Leave her alone' do you not understand, Sendoh?"

Suddenly Sendoh's hand grabbed Rukawa's and yanked its grip off his shirt. "I will not lie to myself, and I won't lie to you either. I will tell you here and now that I am in love with your sister, and nothing you do will change my mind about that."

"You're bringing nothing but more complications in her already hard life right now." Rukawa hissed. "Just leave her alone and let her leave in peace!"

By now, Sendoh's blood was boiling, and his hands lifted and he grabbed Rukawa's shirt. "Why don't you be honest with yourself for once, Rukawa!" Sendoh exclaimed angrily. "I know you don't want her to leave as much as I do! At least one of us had the senses to at least try and do something about it!"

Sendoh's words struck Rukawa into silence. With Sendoh's hands still grasping on his shirt, he just stared into his rival's eyes without saying a word, until Sendoh finally released him.

"I don't know what exactly happened to you in your past…" Sendoh said again, his voice lowering into his usual calm tone. "But whatever it is, it's time to grow up and put it behind you." He concluded his words, and walked slowly towards the exit, nursing his still bleeding nose. And soon, Sendoh was gone, leaving Rukawa alone in the echoes of his last words.

_"… it's time to grow up and put it behind you."_

Was that it? Has he been living in the past all these years, unable to let go of the anger that kept him so bitter and had made him into the cold person he is today?

_But how?_

_How does one forget about the past and put it behind him?_

* * *

Sendoh dragged his steps home along the empty streets. Everything felt heavy. His feet, the bag on his shoulder… He turned around the corner towards where his house is and was surprised to find someone standing right in front the gate, waiting for him.

It was Sumire.

He stopped his steps for a moment, surprised. That heavy feeling suddenly just lifted away, replaced by that immensely glad feeling of seeing her.

When she saw him, her face changed into a look of shock when she saw him. Even after a few days, Rukawa's punch had made quite a significant mark that his nose needed to be bandaged. And traces of the black and blue could still be visible around the area surrounding his indigo blue eyes. "What happened to you?" she exclaimed as she rushed over towards him.

"Aah… it's nothing. Basketball practice… you know, freshmans." Sendoh replied sheepishly.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, reaching out her hand to touch his face.

"Hmm… sometimes…" he replied. "Not as much as it hurts for not being able to see you."

She became silent at the words he just said, and looked away. "I'm sorry…" she finally said.

"Why are you here?" Sendoh asked, searching for her gaze.

Sumire exhaled, and looked up. "I'm leaving… tomorrow."

Sendoh could only force a sad smile as he nodded at her reply. He knew that if she had came looking for him today, that would mean that this would probably be the last chance he'll be able to see her.

"Will you come back… at all…? Ever?" he asked.

Sadly, she shook her head. "There's nothing left in Japan for my mother to come back for." She replied. "The only thing we have here are haunting bitter memories of the past. A broken family that could never be reunited. And Kaede could never forgive my mother for it… nor could he ever forgive me for leaving him." She sighed another long sigh. "But I suppose my mother is right, it would be better for us to be away from it all and to start a completely new life." She said her last sentence with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

He looked at her. It's that exact same glimmer in her eyes that he loved so much from her. He knew right then and there that she's the one. _The one. _But maybe this is how life is. Just when you thought you found her, it turns out that you can't have her. He exhaled, then forced another smile. "Well… I suppose we can always utilize the wonders of modern technology today… e-mails, telephones, letters…"

Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. Startled by the completely uncalled for moment, it took Sendoh quite a moment before he finally received her in his arms.

_Why wouldn't time just stop… right now? Forever…_

"Thank you, Akira." Sumire said softly when she finally pulled away.

"For what?"

"For giving me a beautiful memory to think of when I think of Japan…" she replied.

"I love you."

She paused for a moment. "I love you too." She finally answered.

Sendoh smiled, then he leaned his forehead down against hers and closed his eyes. "No goodbyes, all right?"

"No goodbyes." She agreed.

Then he pulled away slowly, and his eyes brightened. "Might as well add greater moments to those great 'Sendoh Akira memories'." He said as he smiled. "What do you say we add the best one-on-one game in Japan for some more good memories?"

Sumire was quite surprised at the sudden change of his mood. She couldn't help but laugh at his comment.

"What's so funny?" he asked, pretending to look completely offended.

"Ahahaha… gomen ne!" she almost choked trying to stop her laughter. "Good clean fun, right?" she asked.

"Good clean fun, Your Highness. As always."

And so she took her hand, and they walked off to their basketball court under the twilight sun.

====================================================================================

(to be continued)


	9. Words that we couldn't say

**A/N:**

Gomen gomen! With the Chinese New Year and all… I've been busy with family matters!!! I actually planned this to be the last chapter, but somehow it's longer than I thought so I'm gonna stretch into another one… Hoho… I'm gonna insert this part into the actual anime series timeline… = The Shohoku vs. Ryonan + Shoyo practice game! I'm just gonna modify minor details in it to help the plot okie? 

====================================================================================

Rukawa isn't usually an easily confused person. It was the first time in a very, very long time that he was once again, feeling distraught. Most of the time he knows what he should or should not do, and what he wants. But now…

He doesn't usually care about what others say either. He ignores practically everything that all of his senpais told him to do, even Akagi and Kogure. All their words seem like nothing but a passing breeze, maybe it bugged him for just about a second or two, but is then gone just like that.

But Sendoh's words…

He thought of his mother. And for the first time in a long time, he thought of the happy memories he had of his mother. The way she would tuck him into bed at nights, or when she cradled him lovingly in her arms while singing softly. 

He remembered it all now. Before there was Sumire, there was his mother who would stop his tears and would kiss away his pain. 

_My little Kaede._ That's what she used to call him. 

Rukawa remembered how he utterly despised his name when he was very little. After all, Kaede was really not a common name, and an uncommon name is usually an invitation of mockery and hideous nicknames from mischievous classmates in school.

_"Ara? My little Kaede hates his name?" his mother had tried so hard to hold back her laugh when he came home grumbling about how hideous his name is. Apparently the still scrawny little Rukawa Kaede at that time had obtained a regular nickname of 'twiggy' due to his skinny, pale figure—and not to mention the fact that his name itself is none but a tree._

_Then she picked him up and cradled him on her lap, and kissed his forehead gently. "You know why I named you Kaede, sweetheart?" she asked as she ran her gentle hands through his thick, raven hair._

_Little Rukawa looked up at his beautiful mother with his large, expressive blue eyes, and shook his head._

_She smiled at him. And what a beautiful motherly smile it was. At that moment, Rukawa already knew that he will like what his mother is about to say. "The day you were born, Kaede…" she started to speak. "When I held you in my arms for the very first time, you cried. What a strong cry it was." She smiled._

_"And I knew at that moment, that you will be a strong young man, yet sweet and gentle on the inside. And that's why I named you Kaede."_

_Rukawa's eyes twinkled as he listened to his mother's story. Suddenly, the name doesn't sound all too bad. At all._

_"I will always love you, Kaede." His mother whispered as he closed his eyes and snuggled in her embrace. "My little Kaede…"_

But it's all just a memory. Rukawa gritted his teeth and shook the memory off. But then suddenly his vision blurred, he felt something warm trickle down his face. He touched his face only to find that it was stained with tears that had rolled off his cobalt eyes.

_Namida…? Doushite…_

He didn't understand what he's feeling right now.

_Okaa-san…_

_Don't go._

* * *

Sumire was stirred awake by the sound of the chirping birds outside the window. She opened her eyes, and found herself lying in the living room. It took her quite a moment to figure out how she had ended up falling asleep there. She had waited and waited and waited for Rukawa to come home until her eyes could not held themselves open any longer.

_Kaede!_

She jumped up on her two feet as she suddenly remembered and raced up the stairs towards his room. Knocking on his door, she received no answer. She glanced at her watch. It was only 6 AM. Is he still asleep? She reached out her hand and pulled the doorlatch open. But as she pushed the door open, she found the room dark and empty. And his bed was still made, as if no one had slept on it the night before.

Things hasn't exactly been good between them. Rukawa really hasn't spoken much to her in the beginning, and at the end, it was her who shoved him away and shut her door. But she didn't want to leave like this. _No, not like this, Kaede. _Her hands trembled as she closed the door shut. Suddenly she felt like such a jerk to her brother. And she wanted to see him for one last time, and tell him everything that's running in her head right now. That she loves him, that she had always loved him, that she is sorry for leaving him, for not being there for him, for everything that she had done wrong.

_Where are you, Kaede?_

* * *

The line was shaking again, sending ripples over the clear water. Sendoh sighed as he ignored the movement, as he always had.

_Masaka… I can't believe I'm here again…_ Sendoh exhaled as he stared blankly at the horizon. He finally glanced at his watch. It was 3 PM. Her train leaves in an hour. But they've agreed that they will have no goodbyes, no tears, and no regrets. Just great memories together.

His bandages came off yesterday. Maybe by the time his bruises completely dissolve, this heartache would have passed completely too. And he'd be back to his usual pace, to his normal life. And maybe move on to someone else?

_Impossible…_

He exhaled again.

How long has it been since he started sitting there staring at the water? Four hours at least. And they say time flies when you're having fun.

Then, he faintly heard someone shouting his name. Then rapid footsteps that almost shook the whole stretch of pier he was on. He looked up and saw someone running towards him, but he couldn't recognize who it was, but she sure looks familiar.

"Sendoh-kun, Sendoh-kun!" Aida Yayoi came running down the pier towards him. She stopped in front of him, panting as she caught her breath. "Thank god I found you! Please come with me right away!"

Caught completely dumbfounded, he just stared at this strange woman who looked strangely familiar but he just can't figure out who she is.

"Aa! Gomen nasai! Watashi wa Aida Yayoi, Hikoichi's sister!" she exclaimed as she saw the confused expression on the face of her favorite basketball star. "I'll explain on the way! Please just come with me right now!"

Whatever it is, if it can take his mind off Sumire right now, he'll go with it. "Aa… hai… chotto…" he stood up and reeled in his fishing line, but the young woman aggressively snatched all his stuff from his hands and started pushing him to walk towards the road, where a taxicab was patiently waiting for them.

"Ne, Aida-san…" Sendoh finally said after a long silence as the taxicab sped off along the smooth roads. "Are you going to start telling me what's going on now, or are you kidnapping me to demand ransom from my father?"

Aida Yayoi smiled at his attempt to crack a joke. "Well, I'm gonna say that there's a very interesting game that some of your Ryonan teammates are in right now, and would probably be in great need of your fine plays."

"A game?" Sendoh asked, suddenly interested. "With who?"

"It's a surprise." Aida Yayoi answered, her eyes twinkling as she saw the glint in Sendoh's eyes. He's firing up, definitely. _I will finally get to see his beautiful plays again!_

Sendoh exhaled. Now this might just be what he needed. A game to take his mind off some things. And so he leaned back and waited patiently to see where Aida Yayoi is actually taking him. After quite a long ride, the taxicab finally skidded to a stop.

_Eh? Shohoku?_

* * *

_Dear Kaede,_

_I'm not very good with goodbyes. And somehow, I'm not very good in apologies either. But I really do hope that somewhere in your heart you'll find a way to forgive me. I'm sorry for neglecting you these past few years, for not seeing you, for not even calling you. And I don't blame you for hating me even more this time for leaving again to somewhere far, far away. But one thing I ask of you, Kaede… please don't hate okaa-san. Because I've seen her cry at nights in her sleep calling your name. It hurts her just as much as it hurts us that this is what our family had became, debris flustered in the dust._

_She loves you, Kaede. And I knew she must have had a very good reason for leaving that night. Something that we might never know. And I know that it had killed her to do it, to leave you like that._

_But we can't change what's already been done, Kaede. And we can't turn back time either. We will remain trapped in the frozen bitterness of our past if we don't move on. And so I'm leaving to start new, and to leave all this bitterness behind me. But there is one thing that I would like to keep with me in my heart, and that is you, Kaede. No matter what you will always be my brother, and I will always love you. Even if we are oceans apart._

_Maybe one day I'll return to Japan, who knows. And maybe things will be different then… I can only hope._

_Please forgive me, Kaede._

_Your sister,_

_Sumire._

She can only hope that Rukawa sees the folded piece of paper that she had left on his table. But then again, he hardly sits on his desk, and now she's wishing that she had just slipped it under his door.

He didn't come home last night. And she had waited for him all afternoon long but he didn't show up either. Their father had started to become edgy as well from the overnight disappearance of his only son. But then again, Kaede had pulled off these stunts before, and it's really nothing new.

"He'll turn up eventually…" Sumire's father, Rukawa Junichiro, said solemnly as he walked his daughter to the ticket booth at the train station. "I'm just sorry he failed to come to his senses to actually see you off today… do'ahou da…"

Sumire smiled bitterly. As she looked at her father, a twinge of pain was felt wrenching her heart. Why did it all have to be this way? She looked at the tall man, whose height Kaede has surpassed quite some years ago. Everything of him resembled Kaede. His nose, his mouth, his face. He is pretty much… an older version of Rukawa Kaede. And his eyes were those of Sumire's. Kaede had inherited the blues of their mother's eyes. There was a piece of their father and a piece of their mother in both Kaede and Sumire. And that's what makes them a family.

_What went wrong? What went wrong between all of us, Otoo-san?!_

But she didn't say the words. "It's all right, Otoo-san…" she said softly. "Thank you for taking me here today…"

He just smiled faintly. And as Sumire looked at him smile, she can't help but imagine Kaede smiling. She had seen a lot of his smiles when he was younger, but not ever since _that _night.

"I have to go now." he said briefly, as he leaned over to kiss his daughter's forehead. "Send my best to your mother."

She nodded silently and watched her father turn his back against her and walk away. Soon, he disappeared among the crowd.

He didn't even ask her to stay. _Don't go._ Those are the words that she wanted to hear from both of them. But Kaede didn't say it, and her father didn't either.

But one person did say it. Loud and clear, without hesitation.

_Akira-kun…_

But then she shook off the thought. No point in crying over the impossible. If they're really meant to be together, then someway, somehow, a miracle will find its way to unite them. And so she'll just leave it all up to fate, and that thing called love.

She took the ticket from the ticket machine slot and slipped it in her pocket. Then proceeded to pick up her stuff and walked towards the platform. Her mind was blank. She couldn't think of anything else anymore.

_Sumire…! Sumire!!!_

It took her quite a long while to finally realize that someone was _actually_ calling her name amidst the crowd. Puzzled, she turned around searching for who it was who had been calling her name. Her eyes searched, and searched, until she finally saw who it was.

Her eyes widened in shock, and her hands instantly dropped everything in them.

_Miracle…?_

====================================================================================

(to be continued)


	10. Happy ending?

**A/N:**

Yaaaaay… F I N I T O!!! *sniff sniff* I really liked writing about Sendoh…! How bout another Sendoh fic, minna? HauhUHAuHAuhAa… *sees Sakuragi growls at the corner for not getting a fic written of him yet* Eeks! *sweatdrops* Okay… I hope this still counts as a Valentine ficcie… even if I'm one day late in finishing it hoho… Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you liked the ending!

====================================================================================

End of first half. Shohoku was trailing behind by 8 points. Partly because they're up to such a strong combination team. Fujima and Hanagata of Shoyo, paired with Uozumi, Fukuda and Sendoh of Ryonan, then having Ikegami of Ryonan and Hasegawa of Shoyo sitting as standby substitutes. Ayako agrees, you won't find a stronger combination such as this in the whole Kanagawa prefecture.

But another part is that Rukawa Kaede, Shohoku's ace rookie, is missing.

Sendoh cracked open the can of Pocari Sweat that he had just obtained from the vending machine around the corner of the Shohoku basketball club locker room and gulped the liquid to quench his thirst. The moment he walked into the Shohoku gym, the first person his eyes were looking for was Rukawa. But apparently, he skipped practice today. _Maybe he went to see Sumire off to the station. But he would've been back by now. _But then he remembered that Sumire has told him that things hasn't been too well between the two. And Sendoh couldn't help but wonder where Rukawa is right now and what is it that he could be doing.

He saw two girls walking up towards his direction in the empty hallway, and he stopped his steps when he realized that one of them was Chie, walking casually with her classmate, Akagi Haruko. After a moment, he found himself surprised for he found no signs of sadness nor pain as he looked at her. And with that, he brought his steps forward towards her.

"Hello, Chie." He said casually as he stopped his steps in front of her. She had stopped her steps ever since she caught sight of him and was caught by surprise at his greet. He looked different to her this time. When she saw him on the street quite some weeks ago she could see the definite sadness in his eyes. But they weren't there this time.

"Akira-san…"

"You look well." He said again.

Chie's face turned red for a moment in awkwardness. "Nee, Akira-san, what happened to your face…?" She asked softly.

_Ah, the inevitable question about Rukawa's mark. _Sendoh smiled and just shook his head. "Ah, it's nothing." Then he turned and smiled at Haruko as well. And now both girls were standing in front of the tall Ryonan point guard, with blushing red faces. Haruko knew of Sendoh and Chie's past history, and she found herself as an intruder standing amidst a very awkward position, and she doesn't know whether to stay by Chie, or run as fast as she could. 

And speaking of Rukawa's mark…

"Say," Sendoh broke the awkward silence again. "Where is Rukawa?"

"Rukawa-kun?" Chie repeated Sendoh's question, most certainly glad at the change of unspoken subject, then she promptly turned towards a now even more beet-red Haruko. An instant reaction that happens at the mention of Rukawa Kaede's name. "Nee, Haruko-chan… where is Rukawa-kun?" Chie nudged Haruko.

"Wakaranai yo!" Haruko exclaimed in discomfort. "He… he didn't show up at all today!"

"He stomped out of practice a few days back. And haven't returned since." Mitsui continued Haruko's sentence as he showed up among the three.

"Yareyare…" Rukawa's voice suddenly startled the four as he appeared behind Sendoh. "Didn't your parents tell you that it's bad to talk about someone behind his back?"

Sendoh promptly turned around, and saw Rukawa making his way casually into the locker room. At a split second before Rukawa entered their eyes locked and Sendoh was sure there was a glint beyond the boy's deep cobalt blues.

_Challenge?_ Sendoh smirked. _You're on._

* * *

"Rukawa sure is spunky today, isn't he, sensei?" Ayako said to Anzai-sensei as they observed the second half of the practice game. With Rukawa back in the game, Shohoku regained its pace. And he seems more fiery than ever, especially when faced man to man with Sendoh Akira.

Then again, so was Sendoh. Nothing brings his blood to a stir more than a good play of basketball, and somehow, it's only either Rukawa Kaede or his sister Sumire that could bring the utmost enjoyment for him to an ingenius play of basketball.

Shohoku was leading by one point now. Less than one minute left of play.

"DEFENSE!!!" Ayako bellowed from the bench as the ball falls swiftly right into Sendoh Akira's hands.

Sendoh stopped his steps in the middle of the court and smiled as Rukawa promptly appeared again in front of him, defending his turf.

"You can cut that smile off your face, Sendoh." Rukawa said solemnly, his eyes never failing to read his opponent's next movement. "I will bring you down."

"Yareyare…" Sendoh exhaled as he dribbled the ball in a coherent yet seemingly erratic rhythm. He kept his eyes locked into Rukawa's, not taking bait to his taunting bluff. He's not the kind of person who loses concentration that easily, especially on basketball. Suddenly in a split second, he eluded Rukawa smoothly. Now suddenly faced against a towering Akagi, he passed the ball to Fujima without looking, already knowing where his teammate's position is. As he eluded Akagi, Fujima promptly passed the ball back to Sendoh.

Again, Sendoh found himself standing underneath the ring with Rukawa guarding him tightly. Sendoh is always so intrigued by this freshman boy who had made himself his one true court nemesis. And now, somehow, Sendoh felt an even more intriguing bond with him, because of a shared interest. Sumire.

Sendoh took one step back, and jumped in the air with the ball high above his head.

_Fake!_ Rukawa thought. But then he realized just in time that it wasn't a fake. As Rukawa jumped high in the air to block Sendoh's shot, suddenly Sendoh was fast enough to bring the ball back down and laid it up smoothly behind Rukawa, and it plopped through the ring.

Shohoku has lost its one point lead.

Thirty seconds left.

"Offense, Rukawa!!!" Ayako's voice tore into the gym interior as Miyagi passed the ball towards Rukawa, positioned just outside the three-point curve line with Sendoh, naturally, guarding him.

"What was it you said about bringing me down?" Sendoh taunted with his trademark smile on his face.

Rukawa's blood stirred. "Don't be so smug just because my sister likes you." Rukawa said as he attempted to elude Sendoh, but failed. He made another attempt, but then failed again.

"Rukawa, PASS!!!" Sakuragi's brashy voice echoed throughout the gym as he waved rapidly at one side, with Hanagata guarding him. Rukawa looked to the other side, and saw Mitsui guarded by Fukuda. Then his eyes turned back to the person in front of him, Sendoh.

"Don't be so smug just because you're her brother." Sendoh replied back to Rukawa's previous comment.

Seven seconds left. Every other Shohoku member was being guarded tightly by Shoyo and Ryonan. None of them could make it through. Rukawa is their only chance. It looks like Shohoku may not make it out of this game alive, when suddenly…

"Kaede!!!" Sumire's voice yelled out from the balcony top. "Ganbatte yo!!! Don't give up to that big porcupine head!!!"

Sendoh froze at the sound of her voice. His face changed as he stared at Rukawa, still not believing his ears. Then everything started to seem like they're moving in a slow motion. Rukawa's lips curved into a smile as his eyes glinted, then his other hand raised into the air and pointed to a direction up ahead.

_Sumire?_

"SENDOH!!!" Uozumi roared as he saw the look of distraction in Sendoh's face. This was the first time ever he had seen Sendoh lose his concentration.

And so Sendoh turned his eyes away from Rukawa, and saw Sumire leaning over the balcony railing, looking down at him. And Rukawa eluded, jumped high in the air, and dunked the last ball of the game just as the whistle blew.

Was he dreaming? _If this is a dream, then I don't want to wake up. _

Sumire shrugged innocently, then smiled at the still astonished Sendoh. She stepped backwards and retreated from the railing. Sendoh immediately rushed his steps towards the door. "Where's the stairway to the balcony!?" he exclaimed urgently at Ayako.

Taken by complete surprise over Sendoh's behavior, Ayako could only point towards a direction. "Aaa… asoko da…"

But he had already sped off up the flight of stairs, his heart racing fast from the fear of losing her again. _This is not a dream, is it?_ Suddenly, he crashed onto someone as he turned around the corner of the stairway.

"Itaaaai!" Sumire wailed as she was trapped underneath Sendoh's weight. Then her playful hand pulled on his ear, as she always did. "Akira no bakaaa!"

He opened his eyes, and saw Sumire right in front of him.

"Sumire…" he finally mouthed the words out. "What's going on…? Why are you…"

She smiled. "Tadaima." She said softly, as she leaned closer and kissed him.

As their lips locked, he realized that it wasn't a dream. His Sumire is back, and he's never going to let her go again. Ever. Slowly coiling his arms around her, he kissed her back. And being completely intoxicated in the moment, they both had entirely forgotten where they were.

"Oi, oi. Nani yatten da, do'ahou." Rukawa's cold, flat voice was heard, interrupting their moment of bliss.

Sendoh and Sumire looked up, and was looking right into a towering Rukawa, who was staring down at them.

Sumire giggled in amusement over the situation that they're in. Sendoh quickly pulled away from Sumire and helped her to get up on her feet.

"Can someone please tell me what exactly is going on here?" Sendoh asked.

"Kaede…!" before anyone could reply to Sendoh's question, the answer to his question had appeared at the bottom of the stairway. A woman, possibly in her late thirties, and one look at her, Sendoh knew who she was.

"Hai, okaa-san." Rukawa replied and made his way down the stairs. But then he paused in the middle of the flight of stairs, turned around towards Sendoh and Sumire, and then smiled as he looked at them. It wasn't just any smile. Sendoh could see that the dark cloud that had hovered over Rukawa are starting to scatter away slowly, although not entirely. But he was off to a good start.

"Thank you, Rukawa." That was all Sendoh could say right now. _Thank you._

* * *

"You know… you never told me what exactly happened that day…" Sendoh said as he lazed under a tree up in the park where they had first kissed that one day.

Sumire's eyes were looking out to the glimmering ocean stretched in front of her. Yes, Kanagawa was and will always be her home. She never really knew what exactly it was that Kaede did that night when he disappeared. But he had shown up at the train station with their mother that day. So what she knew was that Rukawa Kaede had conquered the anger and bitterness in his heart to let go of the past, for the very first time, and she was grateful for that.

And it was their mother's dream come true, as she really did love Kaede with all her heart. Having her lost son back in her embrace, she decided to move back to Kanagawa, where she could be close to him. It doesn't really matter to Sumire that their family was not completely reunited back together, but it was definitely a good start towards that.

_A miracle. That's what it is, of that thing called love._

And so she smiled silently. "It's getting late." She said. "Shall we go?" she stood up and dusted the dry leaves off her uniform skirt. "Mooh…" she grumbled softly. "Why did Ryonan choose such a drab color for their uniform?"

"Oh, I don't know." Sendoh shrugged casually. "I think you look cute in them."

"Do'ahou." Sumire giggled as she flung a dry leaf at him.

Sendoh smiled as he put his arm around her. 

_A do'ahou in love, that's what._

_With a happy ending._

====================================================================================

- O W A R I -


End file.
